


Called on Account of Rain

by ATTHS_TWICE



Series: Family Life: The Story Beyond the Series [28]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Dancing in the Rain, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father's Day, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy, Love, Post-Season/Series 11, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24836998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ATTHS_TWICE/pseuds/ATTHS_TWICE
Summary: It’s Father’s Day and the plans Scully had for the day, have been thwarted by the rain. Or have they? ❤️
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: Family Life: The Story Beyond the Series [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1407691
Comments: 13
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, writing these fluffy happy stories, makes me grin and feel so 💕💕💕 
> 
> I love them so much. They deserve all the happiness.

_June 2020_

Mulder woke up with a start, the sound of rain falling heavily on the roof. He hummed as he listened to it, thunder rumbling softly in the distance.

Turning his head, he looked over at Scully, hoping she was asleep; thunder sometimes causing her to feel uneasy. Blinking his eyes in the soft light of the nightlight in the corner, he saw she was not beside him. Glancing at the bathroom, he saw the door stood open, the room dark. 

Not hearing her moving around quietly in the dark bathroom, he sat up with a yawn, the rain sounding louder than a couple of minutes ago. Looking over at the baby monitor, wondering if perhaps Faith had woken up, he saw she was sleeping soundly in the corner of her crib, her knees pulled up underneath her. He smiled at the sight, taking a deep breath as he stood up.

He stretched and walked toward the bedroom door, opening it quietly and listening to hear if Scully was puttering around downstairs. Not hearing anything, he walked down the stairs to have a look around. 

Bella was asleep in her crate, the small lamp in the corner providing a warm light to the room. Everything appeared as it always did, and yet Scully was nowhere to be seen. 

Turning around, he caught sight of something through the blinds. Stepping closer to get a better look, his breath held as he did, he saw it was a flashlight. The beam of it was dancing across the yard and heading toward the garage. 

“What in the hell?” he muttered, letting out his breath as he stepped away from the window. He slipped on his tennis shoes, grabbed an umbrella, and walked out the door, closing it behind him. 

Opening the umbrella, he stepped through the open baby gate and walked down the stairs, heading toward a soaking wet Scully. 

“Hey!” he called out to her over the sound of the falling rain. She jumped and turned around, her arms full of something, the flashlight in her hand. “What in the hell are you doing out here?” 

He put the umbrella over both of them, although he knew it was quite pointless as she was soaked to the skin, her pajamas clinging to her. She sighed and he looked down at what she was holding, frowning as he looked back up at her.

“What… honey… what?” He shook his head and brushed her wet hair back from her forehead. 

“I…” she started and then sighed. “Come on and I’ll tell you.” She turned back around and they walked together toward the garage, where he could now see the light was on and the door was open.

Stepping inside, he shook out the umbrella, setting it down as he turned to her. She set the flashlight on a shelf and began to place the brightly colored plastic Easter eggs beside it. Brushing her hair back before looking at him, she shook her head. 

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” she said with a sigh. “I didn’t expect it to rain again and I _really_ didn’t expect it to rain this hard.” She gestured out the door and he looked, watching as it poured down. Looking back at her with a small smile, he raised his eyebrows.

“It’s Father’s Day tomorrow… well, today I suppose,” she explained with a sigh. He stared at her and waited for her to continue. “I had a plan for… for a fun scavenger hunt type thing. I hid the eggs earlier when I said I was going to go for a run. I had it all planned out. The notes in the eggs… the places to set them… and then…” She gestured outside again and he smiled wider, catching on to what she was implying.

“So, you put these out,” he said, reaching for an egg on the shelf. He opened it and found a wet piece of paper inside, the ink heavily smeared, the words _under the rock_ the only ones still readable.

“The plan was to have you find them and it would lead to your Father’s Day gift… something I had set up and gotten ready. But now…” she grumbled and he smiled even wider, placing the egg back on the shelf.

“What was the gift?”

“Oh, well the _gift_ itself wasn’t ruined, just the road leading to it, as it were. So no... I won’t be telling you about the gift,” she said pointedly, with a smirk. He grinned and nodded, picking up the flashlight and the umbrella.

“Well, I’m sorry that your plan was rained out. It looks like it would have been fun.” 

“Yes, it would have,” she agreed with a deep sigh and another shake of her head. 

“Hmm… well, as there is nothing that can be done about it, especially right now, I say we do what _is_ within our control,” he said with a wink. “I say we make a run for it. I mean… you _really_ need to get out of those wet clothes.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, reaching for his hand and stopping him from opening the umbrella, taking it from his hand. “Then I think, if we’re going to make a run for it, and you’re relatively dry yet, while _I’m_ wet- actually, soaked is the word I would use…” He moaned with desire and she chuckled. 

He stared at her, taking in her dripping hair, the way the dark, almost metallic gray of her pajamas appeared nearly the color of midnight black as a result of the rain. His eyes were drawn to the way it clung to her body, specifically her breasts, her nipples hard beneath it. The lace at the end of the sleeves and the small shorts she wore, were even more appealing than they had been a few hours ago, the rain adding a sensual element. 

He shook his head as he tried to stop his thoughts from running away too far away from him. She was right; she was soaked, and he was barely wet. With a large grin, he turned off the light and reached for her hand. Pulling her out of the garage, she slammed the door as heavy raindrops hit their skin, causing them both to shiver. Laughing, they ran down the driveway hand-in-hand. 

He was as soaked as she was by the time they turned the corner. Stopping her from running up the stairs, he laughed as he spun her around, and pulled her back, the useless umbrella held in her hand. Wrapping his arms around her, they danced in the rain, laughing hysterically, not a care in the world. 

Stripping, their wet clothes left in a soggy heap on the porch, they giggled as they stepped inside. Locking the door behind them, they hurried up the stairs, water dripping from both of them. A shared shower later, in which the water was not the only thing that was warm, they laid down in bed. 

She wore a different pair of new pajamas to bed: short sleeved blue satin with white polka dots and white piping. He liked the new sets she had bought recently. They were like her old ones, the ones she had worn in countless motel rooms, but with shorts instead of pants. Shorts which he could slide his fingers under, his touch causing her to catch her breath and moan. 

He loved those shorts. 

Her bare legs grazed his under the covers as he pulled her closer and he sighed with happiness. She hummed as she rubbed a hand across his chest, before holding onto his t-shirt as she breathed his name. She breathed deeply, as the sound of the rain falling steadily down, played like a lullaby and sang them to sleep. 

__________________

He woke to an empty bed, the day dark, cloudy, and already warm. Stretching, he sat up and rose from the bed, stumbling sleepily into the bathroom.

Yawning as he left the bathroom a few minutes later, he put on some sweatpants. Rubbing at his face as he opened the bedroom door, he walked down the stairs, following the laughter he heard.

Finding Scully and Faith in the kitchen, he smiled as he watched them. Scully was singing softly to her, tickling her as they sat at the table, and Faith ate her breakfast. 

“Oh, look who finally decided to get up, my love,” Scully teased as she looked up at him.

“Funny,” he smiled, walking closer to them, Faith turning her head to look at him. 

“Dada,” she said with a smile and clapped her hands. “Hi. Hi, Dada.” She waved at him, and he bent to kiss her repeatedly and loudly in her neck, making growling monster sounds. She laughed and pulled away, looking at him with a big smile. 

“Good morning, my ladies,” he said, kissing the top of Scully‘s head as he stepped to the counter. Opening the cupboard to grab a coffee mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. Sitting down beside Scully, he smiled happily at both of them. 

“Happy Father’s Day,” Scully said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “Faith woke up early and I haven’t had a chance to make a special breakfast for us yet, just hers. But, there is waffle batter in the fridge and a pack of bacon.” She looked at him and he nodded.

“That’s fine, I’m not hungry just yet,” he said, with a shake of his head and a hand on her arm. She sighed again and he rubbed her back. “Scully?” 

“I had a plan… _and_ a title to uphold,” she said with a pout and he laughed softly.

“We aren’t betting this year,” he reassured her, squeezing her shoulder. “It’s been cancelled on account of this being quite a shitty year.” 

“I know… ” She glanced at Faith, finding her distracted, and then looked back at him. “And it’s been a _fucker_ of a year.” She told him quietly as she shook her head, letting out a sigh as he rubbed her back with a chuckle.

“Still, you had such thoughtful and beautiful gifts for me. We're stuck inside, it’s been hard on all of us at times and… it would have been fun, but the weather was just not on my side today.” 

“It’s okay, honey. Neither of us _needs_ gifts, but of course they’re nice. This… this right here,” he said, gesturing to her and Faith. “This is all I need.” He smiled and leaned toward her, waiting for her to meet him halfway for a kiss. She grinned and kissed him softly, her hand resting lightly on his chest. 

“Dada!” Faith yelled and he pulled back, smiling at Scully, and squeezing her hand gently before he looked at Faith.

“Yes, my love,” he said and she smiled at him, slapping her hands happily on the table. 

“Would you mind taking Bella out?” Scully asked. “I let her out to pee, but she could use more time outside, especially before it starts to rain again.” 

“Sure.” 

“Let her run for a bit and when little miss here is finished, I’ll start on our breakfast.” He nodded, taking a sip of his coffee and standing up. Kissing the top of her head, he picked up his mug and stepped back from the table.

“Bella!” he called to her and she stood from her bed, stretching before coming over to him, her body wiggling happily. 

“Good girl. Come on then,” he said, smiling as he pet her, scratching behind her ears. 

Putting on a different pair of shoes than he wore last night, as those were still on the porch, along with their wet clothes, he opened the door. Bella ran out ahead of him, running quickly back and forth across the porch before waiting at the baby gate for him to open it, her tail wagging excitedly.

“Okay, Bella. I can see your excited,” he laughed, unlocking the gate and letting her run down the steps and onto the rain covered grass.

He closed the door, not wanting to let the humid heat of the day inside. Setting his coffee mug on the railing, he stretched his arms up over his head, yawning as he did. Bringing them down, he twisted and turned, his back popping, before he rolled his neck and exhaled. 

Whistling for Bella, he picked up one of her tennis balls and threw it to her. She ran after it, her feet slipping a little in the grass as she ran back to him and dropped the ball. 

“Good girl. Here you go.” He threw it again and she scampered clumsily down the steps, her too-long legs and feet getting tangled up. Smiling, he walked across the porch, looking up at the dark sky. Bella dropped her ball and ran after it, playing fetch on her own. 

He chuckled softly and then paused, standing completely still, thinking he had heard something. Hearing it again, he bent down with a frown, listening closer. Hearing it again, he exhaled in surprise. 

“Holy shit.” He stood up quickly and opened the other gate. Hurrying safely down the wet steps, he squatted down and looked through a small hole in a broken slat on the bottom of the porch, but could not see anything. Bella came running up with a bark, pushing into him, and licking his face. 

“Hey, Bella, back up a bit,” he told her, pushing her back gently, as he patted her back. She whined and as she did, he heard the sound again, closer than before. Bella whipped her head toward the sound, her ears up.

“Yeah, you hear it too, huh?” he asked and Bella whined again, pushing closer to the broken slat. She sniffed and whined softly, looking back at him, then back at the slat again, when he heard it even closer this time.

“Good girl, Bella. Hey, come on out of there,” he said softly, looking into the slat, still seeing nothing. “Come on. Psst. Psst.” 

Bella gave a low whine and then the small head of a kitten popped through the slat, meowing loudly as it pushed through the rest of the way. Bella sniffed at the incredibly tiny kitten, bending down low as she investigated the little creature.

“Hey there,” Mulder said, picking up the wet, gray striped kitten. It mewled as he stood up, clinging to him as Bella jumped up, her paws on his legs, trying to see the kitten again. “Yeah, we got it, Bella. Thanks for your help, girl.” He patted her head and she dropped back down to the ground.

“Where did you come from, little one?” he asked the kitten, tipping its head back with the his finger. It looked back at him with blue eyes, shaking as it meowed quietly and then began to purr loudly.

“Oh… we need to get you inside. Come on, Bella.” 

He walked up the stairs, holding the small kitten close. Closing one of the gates, Bella still following him closely, he walked across the porch and closed the other gate. Picking up his coffee mug from the railing, he opened the door and stepped inside. 

“Oh, honey,” he called out with a smile, as Bella ran in to see Faith, who was playing on the floor. She gave her a hello lick, causing her to giggle. “I need your help with something.”

“Mm-hmm,” Scully said, closing the refrigerator, the bowl of waffle batter in her hand. Glancing at him, she smiled as she turned to set it down. Turning back around quickly, the bowl landed with a thud onto the counter as she looked at him with wide eyes. 

“Wh… what…” she stammered, walking over to him. “Where… Mulder…” 

“It was under the porch,” he said, handing her the kitten, who meowed and gripped onto her, crawling up her chest and nearly to her shoulder. She grabbed it and held it in her hands, cuddling it to her chest. He set his mug on the table and sighed.

“The poor thing must have been out in the rain all night,” she murmured, looking at the kitten. “Oh, Mulder, it’s shivering. We need to wash it and get it dry.” 

“Dada,” Faith said, and he felt a tug on his pants as she grabbed onto him. “Up.” He bent and picked her up, pointing to the cat. 

“Look, honey. It’s a kitten – a baby cat.”

“Cat,” she said, reaching to touch it. “Maow.” 

“Yes, the cat says _meow_. Good job, honey. I wonder where it came from,” he said looking at Scully.

“I don’t know, but we need to make sure it’s okay. It’s so cute.” She turned it over, glancing quickly with a smile. “ _She_. She is so cute.”

“She,” he scoffed. “Of course it’s a she.” He gestured at Scully, Faith, Bella and then waved his arm to include the fish upstairs. “I’m surrounded forever by women.”

“And you love it,” she said, rubbing the kitten’s head as she began to purr again. “I’ll give her a bath. Can you get a towel from upstairs?”

“Yep. Let’s go Faithy. We’re on a kitten mission.” He bounced her in his arms on the way up the stairs, grabbing the towel and then stopping in Faith‘s room to find a fleece blanket, thinking the kitten would be comforted by the softness of it.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs, Faith looked at him, worry in her eyes as they heard the cat meowing loudly from the kitchen. Walking over to the sink, they saw that the kitten was in a small amount of water, the faucet on low. Bella was whining as she stood with her front paws on the counter, trying to see what was happening.

“It’s okay, Bella. She’s just a little nervous, but she’s okay. We just need to clean her off and warm her up. Yeah, you’re okay little one. We’ve got you now.” Mulder watched her smile at the terrified kitten and he smiled back.

“Cat,” Faith said, pointing at the kitten. “Maow.” 

“Yeah, honey. Mama is taking good care of her,” he said and Scully smiled again, rinsing the kitten gently.

“There we go. I think that’s good,” she said, turning off the faucet and squeezing the kitten gently to remove any excess water. “At least she’s cleaner than before. We can’t use soap, she’s too little, but that should be good enough. Hand me the towel?” She reached for it and he gave it to her, wrapping it securely around the kitten, and lifting her into her arms.

“Yeah, you’re okay. All done with the water now. Shhh… it’s okay.” She walked to the table and sat down, Bella following, her nose pressing into the towel, sniffing around and whining. “She’s okay, Bella. Aren’t you sweetie?” The kitten gave a soft meow and closed her eyes as Scully chuckled softly. “Yeah, she’s okay.” 

Faith wiggled in Mulder’s arms and he set her down. Scully leaned forward so she could see the kitten better and Faith stared at her with wide eyes.

“Cat,” she said again quietly and Scully smiled, glancing at Mulder as she did. He smiled back as he squatted down beside her, his hand on Faith’s small back. 

The kitten opened her eyes and her blue eyes met Faith’s, as she let out a soft meow. Faith gasped and looked at Scully.

“Cat. Maow,” she said with a surprised tone, as though she had not heard her meowing already. 

“Yes, she meowed,” Scully said with a smile as she rubbed the kitten gently.

“Cat,” Faith said yet again and the kitten closed her eyes, purring louder than before. 

“Oh, she’s so cute, Mulder,” Scully said, touching the kitten's forehead. “We don’t have anything here for a cat, though.” Raising her head, she looked at him and he grinned.

“So, I’m assuming we’re keeping her?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Of course we are!” she said incredulously. “Are you serious?”

“I believe you once told me we could never have a cat because of…”

“Because you called my vagina a _kitty_?” she said over him and he sighed loudly.

“Yeah. _That_.” 

“Well... I’m over that,” she stated firmly, looking back down at the kitten. “She took shelter here, Mulder. She must have chosen us for a reason.” Looking up at him again, he nodded with a grin. 

Of course they were going to keep her. 

As if there was any other option. 

_________________

Shutting off the car, he put on his face mask with a smile. Closing the door, he walked into the pet store to gather the items needed for the new kitten. 

Food- wet and dry, dishes, treats, toys, a litter box, cat sand and a scooper, a scratching post/climbing toy, a bed, and a purple collar with a tiny bell. The cart was piled high when he made his way to the front of the store. The clerk smiled kindly at him behind her mask, as he began to place the items onto the counter.

“Looks like someone has a new family member,” she said with a chuckle. 

“You could say that,” he agreed with a laugh. “Bit of a surprise on our end, obviously.” He gestured to the items and she laughed with him. 

“That’s sometimes the best way to gain a new member of the family. We have a cat here who hangs about. She’s skittish and hesitant, but I love seeing her every day.” 

“They do find their way into our hearts, don’t they?” 

“That they do,” the woman said with a nod. 

All the items purchased, bagged, and set in the car, he wiped off his hands, took off his mask, and headed home, smiling happily. 

Walking into the house a few minutes later, he saw them all playing on the floor with the kitten, who was now a dry fluffy ball of excitement. She ran around, bouncing and chasing at Bella‘s tail and then the small ball of foil Scully must have made for her. Faith was laughing and crawling after the kitten, making meowing sounds as she did. Scully was laughing as Bella barked and pawed gently at the kitten.

“Hey… _all_ you ladies,” he said with a laugh and Scully looked up at him with a grin. Bella bounded over, greeted him quickly, and ran back to the kitten.

“Did you get everything?” Scully asked, standing to her feet.

“And then some,” he said with a smile. “She’s a cute little thing.” He watched the kitten raise a paw to Faith and slowly touch her foot as Faith giggled.

“She is. Feisty too,” Scully agreed and he looked at her.

“Of course she is. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from any woman in _this_ house.” She laughed and nodded. “I’m going to take everything out of the car, wipe it all down, bring it inside, and change my clothes. 

“Okay. I’ll get some brunch ready since our morning was sort of hijacked.”

“In the best possible way,” he said with another smile. “It just started raining on my way home, too. If I hadn’t been out there when I was, I might not have found her.”

“Fate intervened then,” she said with a smile and he nodded happily.

“Okay, you take care of brunch. I’ve got this.”

Forty five minutes later, they were at the table eating waffles and bacon. Faith was eating a banana, Bella was eating her own breakfast, and the kitten was eating as well. They gave her just a little bit at first, not knowing how long it had been since she had eaten and not wanting to fill her tummy up too quickly.

“Cat,” Faith said, pointing at the kitten as she ate. She smiled and put more bananas in her mouth. Mulder laughed and watched the kitten, so small as she ate out of her large food bowl.

“How old do you think she is?” he asked and Scully shook her head.

“Can’t be more than ten weeks. Poor thing, must’ve lost her mom. Maybe in the rain last night, or possibly even before.” She sighed and he squeezed her hand with an understanding smile.

When they were finished, they watched the kitten playing until she climbed to the top of her scratching post/climbing toy and fell asleep. Taking the cue from the kitten, Mulder carried Faith upstairs for her own much needed nap.

“Cat,” she said, as he placed her in her crib, her eyes heavy with sleep. 

“Yes, love, the cat is downstairs. You’ll see her later. Trust me, she’s not going anywhere.” He kissed the top of her head as she yawned and laid down, reaching for her stuffed pink Easter bunny. “Good night, love, have a good nap.”

Turning on her sound machine and setting the fan on low, he walked out and closed the door. Downstairs, he found Scully sitting on the couch, her eyes closed, the kitten now held like a baby in the rainbow fleece blanket he had brought down earlier. 

Sitting down next to her, he smiled as he saw the kitten sleeping peacefully on her back, her front legs stretched straight up beside her. Bella was asleep at Scully’s feet, the morning's excitement seeming to take its toll on all of them. He knew Scully was not asleep, not quite yet anyway.

“I’m sorry that Father’s Day was kind of ruined,” she said softly and he looked at her in surprise. 

“Ruined? Not in the slightest, just like I told you earlier.” He kissed the top of her head and she sighed.

“Well, maybe not _ruined_ , but… definitely not the day I had planned. Like I said, it was going to be a scavenger hunt leading to your big gift. I had an image in my mind about how it would go, but… it’s _still_ raining and so we’ll have to put a pause on it. I should have made sure, but…” 

“Scully, what did we do for Mother’s Day? A picnic and hanging out here? It’s what we’ve been doing almost every day for months now. It wasn’t a special trip out like we did last year, but did it make the day any less special?” he asked her quietly. 

“No. But, Mulder, at least it was _something_.” 

“And the adventure of finding an orphaned kitten under our porch? That’s not something?” 

“Hmm. Well, when you put it that way…” 

They were quiet for a few minutes and he thought she may have fallen asleep until she sighed deeply. 

“I know you have some gift, undoubtedly something I’ll love, but like I said already, I don’t need any gifts, Scully,” he whispered. “I really do have all that I need right here under this roof.” 

“Cheesy,” she whispered back, moving closer to snuggle against him.

“Hmm,” he agreed, feeling very tired himself, as he put his arm around her, pulling her close. “There’s always my birthday. I don’t mind waiting.” 

“That’s months away. Don’t be silly. I do have something for you, for the interim, but it’s on the kitchen table, and it’s just _so_ far away. Also, I’m holding this sweet sleeping kitten while our dog is sleeping at my feet. I’m obviously meant to stay right here.” He chuckled softly and closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the couch as she sighed sleepily and he smiled. 

“We can get it later,” he breathed and he felt her nod slightly and settle closer to him.

Within minutes, they were both asleep, the rain falling softly and steadily outside. Bella whined in her sleep and the kitten began to purr as she moved and snuggled further into the cozy blanket. Faith hummed through the monitor as Mulder gave a little snore, and Scully sighed peacefully beside him.

Yes, the interim gift on the kitchen table could wait, as could the original one. For now, they were content to be together. The day may not have been experienced with extensive plans and outings, but they had all been together. 

And that was all that truly mattered. 


	2. All in a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the day is done, Mulder and Scully relax together, content with the day and contemplate on what to name their new found kitten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of fluff I wrote to one, name the kitten and two, to brighten up the day of my friend, Lisa. ❤️
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Mulder came back inside, after taking out the trash, closing the door behind him. It was still hot out, though the rain had finally let up a couple of hours earlier. It was still wet out, creating a muggy feeling he was happy to escape, as he stepped back into the air conditioned living room. 

Faith was in bed, though not asleep yet as he could hear her humming to herself as she did sometimes. Sometimes she even babbled to her stuffed toys, turning over and over before ending up in her regular spot, in the corner of the crib. He smiled as he listened to her, stopping to pick up the monitor and watch her as he reached the dining room table. 

“You want a beer?” Scully asked, and he nodded as he put the monitor down and turned toward her. 

“Scully…” he said, in a disbelieving tone when he saw she was still holding the kitten, wrapped in the blanket, as she took two beers from the fridge. He walked over to take them from her and put them on the counter. “Seriously?” 

“Mulder,” she sighed, adjusting the sleeping kitten in her arms, fixing the blanket around her, the way she used to do with Faith. “She’s so small and she obviously had a traumatic experience. She needs some extra love, at least for tonight.” 

“Just tonight?” he snorted, removing the tops of the beers with the bottle opener. Handing one to her, he looked at her with his eyebrows raised. She stared back unblinking, that one eyebrow going up and causing him to smile. 

He shook his head as he picked up his beer, stepped closer to her, and cupped her cheek. Looking down at the kitten, he chuckled softly. Her body was turned toward Scully’s chest, her paws outstretched. 

“I’m assuming she’s sleeping in our bed tonight,” he stated, already knowing it to be fact. 

“She can’t stay down here,” she said, as he stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. 

“But Bella could when she was so small?” he teased and she nodded. 

“She’s a dog and was used to her crate. This kitten had a rough day and isn’t used to a routine,” she explained as he moved his hand and she shrugged. Chuckling again, he shook his head and walked to the couch. 

“Besides, she’s a cat… they don’t always do what they’re told the way a dog does,” she continued as she sat down beside him. 

“I know,” he agreed with a smile. “But… that doesn’t mean we need a kitten in our bed every night.” He looked at her pointedly. 

“I didn’t say _every_ night. Nor would I want that to happen. But _tonight,_ she needs to sleep with us. Tomorrow, she and Bella can be sleeping buddies.” 

“Hmm… I’ll believe that when I see it,” he said, bumping her shoulder gently. 

“Ha! Since when has _seeing_ something been a prerequisite for you to believe in something?” she asked with an amused grin. He shook his head with a smile, saying nothing, knowing he could not argue with her. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking their beers, listening to Faith breathing, finally asleep. Bella whined in her sleep and Mulder smiled, taking another sip of his beer. 

“So… still not gonna tell me the big gift you had planned?” he asked and she shook her head. 

“Nope. You’ll have to be patient and happy with the replacement gift you were given for now.” 

“Oh, I am. I love it,” he assured her, looking at the coupon book that lay on the coffee table that she had made for him. “I especially like page three- _“Refrain from rolling my eyes for one day.”_ I am looking forward to using that one and seeing if you can _truly_ accomplish the task.” She chuckled and put her head on his shoulder. 

“Would have thought you would like page seven the best,” she said in a quiet tone and he exhaled at the timbre in her voice. God, he loved when she spoke to him that way. 

“Page seven will be fun, as it _always_ is, but page three is _all_ day and rolling your eyes, is almost nearly akin to breathing for you.” 

“How dare you,” she said in that same low voice and he chuckled. She hummed and they fell silent again, finishing off their beers. 

The kitten stretched and squeaked out a meow. Rolling into a little ball, she began to purr loudly; a purr that seemed larger than her tiny body should be able to create. 

“She is so cute,” Scully said, for maybe the fiftieth time that day, as she shook her head with a smile. 

“She is,” he agreed, smiling as he watched Scully watching the kitten. “She also needs a name. Something fitting for the day.” 

“Not Stormy,” she insisted and he snorted. 

“No. Not Stormy,” he agreed. 

“Bella was easy to name, I _knew_ what you would choose. But this one…” She inhaled through her teeth and shook her head. “I just don’t know.” 

“We’ll figure it out,” he said and she nodded with a sigh. 

He stood up and took their bottles to the kitchen, grabbing one more for himself, knowing she would not want another. Opening it, he tossed the caps from all three bottles into the recycling bin, and joined her on the couch. 

Bella woke up and stretched, walking over to them, her tail wagging. She sat down and laid her head on his leg, whining with a small wiggle. 

“You need to go out? Okay, girl. Come on.” He stood up and she bounded toward the door. Laughing softly as he opened it, he let her go first. 

The gate opened, she ran down to the grass as he took a drink of his beer and looked up at the stars. There were still some lingering clouds, but the sky was clearer than it had been in days. Still hot and muggy, the air smelled clean and almost woodsy. He chuckled as he thought of the days and often the nights spent in the woods or some forest as the rain fell down on them. 

“ _Felis sylvestris_ ,” he muttered, suddenly remembering an article he happened to read years ago about cats. “Cat of the woods… well... I’d say that about does it.” He laughted and shook his head. Calling for Bella, they went inside; with him closing the gate and the door as they did. 

“Cat of the woods,” he repeated to Scully and she looked at him with a frown as he sat beside her, setting his bottle down on the coffee table. “ _Felis sylvestris._ I read it in an article a few years back.” She stared at him and then at the kitten. 

“Well, while I appreciate the knowledge, Felix _and_ Sylvester have both been taken for cat names already. We can’t copy that, it’s not what we’re about.” 

“Okay, fair enough,” he chuckled, crossing his arms. 

“But I like the way you’re thinking. Something woodsy… Maybe.” She sighed and shook her head, looking down at the kitten. 

“Whatever we _do_ name her, she’s going to be known simply as “cat” for quite a while, until Faith can say her name properly,” he warned her and she nodded. “We don’t need to figure it out tonight.” 

“I know.” 

Quiet again, they each sat thinking, until Scully laughed quietly and looked at him, her eyes shining. 

“Grey.” 

“What?” he asked her, thoroughly confused. 

“Grey. Like a reticulans skin tone.” She grinned at him and he laughed with a nod. 

“Grey. Okay. I like it.” He looked at the sleeping kitten and thought the name suited her. “I mean… she _is_ grey and she did come to us on a gray day. I’d say you chose a good name once again, Miss Scully.” 

“Of course I did. I’m good at naming things.” 

“Indeed.” He smiled and she raised her eyebrow at him, causing him to chuckle. Reaching over, he touched the kitten's head, rubbing between her eyes with one finger. “Hello, Grey. It’s nice to properly make your acquaintance. ” 

She turned over, blinking open her blue eyes and stared at him with a small meow, before closing her eyes, and covering her face with her paws. Scully looked at him with her lower lip jutting out, holding the kitten even closer. 

“I love her so much,” she breathed with a pouty chuckle. 

“I can tell,” he laughed, putting an arm around her shoulders, her head resting against him as he shook his head. 

A dog, a cat, fish swimming happily in their tank, and a little girl sleeping soundly upstairs… 

For a little house that used to be so quiet and sad, the noise and happiness that now filled it was a hundred times better. 

Closing his eyes as he kissed the top of Scully’s head, the purrs from their little Grey filled his ears, and he smiled happily. 

_A thousand,_ he thought. _It was a thousand times better._

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So... if you enjoyed the Mulder-Scully household acquiring a new family member, that’s thanks to Untilwefindit. She so kindly suggested they get a kitten and it fell into place with this story. 
> 
> Thank you my friend. I love them being normal and having a full house of people, pets, and love. ❤️❤️


End file.
